Aneurysms can be complicated and difficult to treat. For example, treatment access may be limited or unavailable when an aneurysm is located proximate critical tissues. Such factors are of particular concern with cranial aneurysms due to the brain tissue surrounding cranial vessels the corresponding limited treatment access.
Prior solutions have included endovascular treatment access whereby an internal volume of the aneurysm sac is removed or excluded from arterial blood pressure and flow. In this respect, because the interior walls of the aneurysm may continue being subjected to flow of blood and related pressure, aneurysm rupture remains possible.
Alternative to endovascular or other surgical approaches can include occlusive devices. Such devices have typically incorporated multiple embolic coils that are delivered to the vasculature using microcatheter delivery systems. For example, when treating cranial aneurysms, a delivery catheter with embolic coils is typically first inserted into non-cranial vasculature through a femoral artery in the hip or groin area. Thereafter, the catheter is guided to a location of interest within the cranium. The sac of the aneurysm can then be filled with the embolic material to create a thrombotic mass that protects the arterial walls from blood flow and related pressure. However, such occlusive devices do have certain shortcomings, including mass effect, which can cause compression on the brain and its nerves.
One particular type of occlusive approach endeavors to deliver and treat the entrance or “neck” of the aneurysm as opposed to the volume of the aneurysm. In such “neck” approaches, by minimizing blood flow across the neck, then a cessation of flow into the aneurysm may be achieved. In turn, a thrombotic mass may naturally form without having to deliver embolic materials, as previously described. This is preferable to masses formed from embolic material since a natural mass can improve healing by reducing possible distention from arterial walls and permits reintegration into the original parent vessel shape along the neck plane of the aneurysm. It is understood that the neck plane is an imaginary surface where the inner most layer of the parent wall would be but for the aneurysm. However, neck-occlusive approaches are not without drawbacks. It is desired to block the neck of the aneurysm in the parent vessel. Further, embolic coils do not always effectively treat aneurysms as re-canalization of the aneurysm and/or coil compaction can occur over time.
The solution of this disclosure resolves these and other issues of the art.